One of the first projects emerging from the recently formed Walden Fulbright Association virtual chapter will begin this fall in Haiti. In the spirit of Fulbright international exchange, the project is bringing together scholar-practitioners from Canada and the United States to cultivate the essence of Fulbright through an educational pilot with students in grades 9-12 in Haiti.

This Fulbright Readiness Program was intentionally designed to foster a sense of agency and help empower 25 students as they expand their social consciousness while continuing to develop their literacy skills that include writing, representation and public speaking. Through collaboration with two teachers from the Haitian-American Caucus (HAC), the pilot will unfold through a series of lessons that help students understand their own place and space while engaging in an exploration of what other youth and young adults are doing to support social change in their own country and around the world.

The pilot has been developed to utilize an augmented Design Thinking process that will encourage students to consider who they are as citizens of the world and change agents. The pilot will culminate in June 2020 with a celebration of learning in the form of a student exhibition where their change projects (local or global) will be showcased. Solving real-world and authentic problems that matter to these students can open new avenues in knowledge sharing, individual efficacy and youth advocates for action.

The Walden Fulbright Chapter’s project lead, Nadia Delanoy, in collaboration with Samuel Darguin, the Country Director at the Haitian-American Caucus, is very excited about this global project as well as the ways in which the process will leverage literacy development, technology usage and intentionally empower youth in Haiti to be change agents. Samuel Darguin’s work in Haiti serves to support youth and adult workforce readiness while providing learning supports, practical certifications and community spaces. His passion for supporting domestic advancements and the education of Haiti’s citizens is part of his belief that “education is the only path for the future.” Samuel Darguin’s work through HAC has resulted in the development of educational infrastructure, technology programs and workforce development programs within the HAC purview.

As the project lead, Nadia  Delanoy is a Walden PhD in Management and Technology candidate, secretary for the Fulbright Association chapter and instructs at the University of Calgary while also consulting in the private sector. Her passion for education and change leadership were primary factors in leading this project with the support of the board and Dr. Walter McCollum, who is a Fulbright Scholar and Executive Director/Dean Student Affairs. The Fulbright Association board is diligently working to provide supports for students, faculty, staff and alumni and develop projects such as this to continue to showcase Walden’s strengths as a higher education institution.

“This project demonstrates the commitment of Walden University and our Fulbright Association Board to collaborating internationally to take action for social change; we are living the spirit of the Fulbright,” says Nadia Delanoy.

For more information, please email WaldenFulbright@mail.waldenu.edu.